The plot
After a non-too-successful
holiday, Technician Ted arrived home to find a package waiting for him. A label affixed to
the package simply read "With love, Gertie". Surprised that she still remembered
him (sometimes it felt that nobody remembered him), Ted took the package indoors and
opened it. He found a laptop PC with Internet facilities.
Ted hooked the PC up to his
'phone and, as luck (or mediocre plot devices) would have it, the PC had an Internet
account set up on it, so Ted started to surf the 'net. Being of egotistical persuasion,
Ted typed his name into a search engine but only found a "Technician Ted: Mediocre or
Awful?" site. Ted voted for "mediocre" and decided to do a search for
Willy; his arch-enemy. "At least I've got a site (albeit one that somebody made
up)," thought Ted, "that bankrupt loser has probably died and gone to the same
place as that mole!"
Ted was amazed. This Willy
fellow had several sites devoted to him. What was worse was that he was still starring in
games when Ted took "voluntary retirement" years ago! "How can this
be?" pondered Ted. "I was in three games, the same as him; my games were
admittedly inspired by his adventures, but they were good. I even designed my loading
screen where I had to play several different roles!". Bemused at this continuing
interest in Willy, Ted downloaded a Spectrum emulator. He spent the next few months
playing Willy's new games, completing most of them by cheating, but got stuck on one of
the seemingly never-ending Manic Miner sequels.
Ted was hungry. He wanted
some of this fame and was yearning to star in a game of his own again. He could still jump
and make an annoying noise when he loses a life; what was stopping him? Ted had heard
about programs that would let you edit Willy's first two adventures (he'd later found out
that these are commonly known as "editors"). He looked and looked for an editor
for one of his games and, becoming more and more frustrated (he'd just received his
telephone bill!), he decided to wreak revenge on Willy. Ted planned to write a new game
for Willy to star in; a game where Ted would call the shots - a game where Willy was
doomed to fail and Ted would be famous again! Ha! This would teach that bloke a lesson!
Willy always seemed to do things bigger and better than Ted. Willy had had better
holidays, had costume changes, he'd even gone to outer space!
The last time Ted spoke to
Willy was through Willy's solicitors. Willy sued Ted for copying his second adventure; Ted
had copied ideas and didn't even credit Willy. Willy dropped the case when he was working
on his performance for a remake of his "Jet-Set" game. After all, he and Ted
used to go drinking occasionally, and Ted seemed to be a nice chap back then. Ted needed
help to write this game; he needed someone gullible enough to believe that a fictional
game character was talking to him and making, oops, helping, him write this game. |
Ted found his man. He offered him money and a bag of chips, but
his friend didn't want any of this - the chance to use Ted's story as a plot for a JSW
game nearing the end of completion was enough! Willy agreed to star in the game, making
Ted sign a contract stipulating that if Willy finishes the game, Ted will go away and
never bother him again. Ted wrote some of the rooms (with some "help"), and
wanted a big part in the game. He wanted Willy to look stupid, so made up a superfluous
storyline about Willy having a nightmare and waking up as an old foe.
Due to a
"hilarious" mix-up, Ted's costume in the game was that of Willy's housekeeper!
Growing to like the idea, Ted decided to keep this in the game.
Ted persuaded some folk from
the "Retired Speccy Game Characters' Rest Home" to put an appearance in the
game. Not having a big budget, Ted used some of the sets and actors from previous Willy
games, to confuse Willy even more. Before the release of the game, both Ted and Willy were
being interviewed. "So Willy," asked the interviewer, "do you think that
Ted has a role to play in games nowadays?"
Oh sure," replied Willy, "it's losers like Ted who determine the winners
like me!"
Needless to say, Ted got angry, saying "Oh yeah - well your third game wasn't
a critical success was it?" Willy explained that, after the director of his first two
games went missing, the production studio thought that a new game based on his
"Jet-Set" days would be a good money-spinner.
This new production promised
a lot - faster action, more scenes, costume changes, new actors. If was a failure - the
original game's director was sorely missed. "Anyway, you did the same with your
second game, and your last game was released by a different company," commented
Willy.
Ted was quiet; he was
thinking how best to wreak revenge. "And then you had new directors, new to games,
making your new productions - the "Miner Willy" franchise is grower bigger by
the day," stated the interviewer.
Willy smiled. "Yes,
over the last few years I've constantly been in work. I'm fully booked up until after the
millennium."
Tell me about some of your
forthcoming games, Willy."
"Book adaptations seem to be popular at the moment; I'm set to star in a few
over the next couple of years. The director has a proven track record - he did my third
Manic Miner sequel - I had a very hard time on set on that game, I can tell you!"
"A couple of my old
games are having extra scenes added and generally tarted up a bit. I'm also breaking into
the foreign market too - a few of my games have been made abroad." The interviewer
leant forward, "what about the director of your recent space adventure? Any plans for
him?"
"He's actually composing the score for this game; I'm in negotiations with him
to direct a game or three in the future."
"I'm very happy with all of my games so far - the directors are so dedicated
and enthusiastic - they don't get money for their work, after all!"
After the interview had
finished, Ted left a bottle outside Willy's stage door. Willy, hearing a noise, opened the
door and picked up the bottle and went back inside. "Must be from a fan," Willy
thought, drinking the bottle's contents. Willy felt a bit odd. "I haven't felt like
this since Maria visited her sister," Willy thought. Willy staggered to the bathroom
and fell, bumping his head on the floor. With Willy temporarily out of action, Ted hid the
boot cassette under Willy's pillow; Willy needs this so he can change form and wake up!
Ted, stretching his acting skills to the limit, decided to stand guard by Willy's bed, not
letting Willy enter until he has collected all the items in the game.
After all, Willy has no
chance, has he? Has he? |
The shorter plot
Willy, changed into an old
foe, he has to collect all the items and go to his bed. This is the only way you can
defeat Ted! (Unless you cheat!)
Some background info
JSW Ivy was started back in
1996 when I first got a PC and had Internet access at work. I downloaded Paul Rhodes'
Editor and started to edit the original JSW rooms. I then started writing a new JSW game
and had written about 40 rooms when I left it for over a year. I re-started work on Ivy in
March of this year.
The loading SCREEN$ has
Willy and Ted on set from their unfinished epic "Way of the Imploding Peanut".
The in-game tune is Strauss' Radetzky March (as featured in Technician Ted); arranged by
Richard Hallas.
JSW Ivy is probably the only
Speccy game to have been partly written inside a monastery! When I went on retreat a few
months ago I borrowed a friend's laptop and designed "Ted's Labrotory (sic)"
whilst I was there.
Remember - if it's not
rubber, then it's a plus! :-) |
